People In The News: CEO Post Changes Hands At Express Scripts, Xenoport, Promethera, Molecular Response, Protagonist

CEOs And Presidents

Express Scripts President Tim Wentworth becomes CEO in May 2016. George Paz will step down from the CEO role but remain as non-executive chairman. Wentworth became part of Express Scripts leadership when the company acquired Medco Health Solutions in 2012. Express Scripts new executive VP and chief financial officer is Eric Slusser, previously CFO at home health and hospice provider Gentiva.

Habib Dable moves up to president of Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals; he has served as global health of specialty medicine for Bayer's US-based pharmaceutical unit since 2013.

Moving up to CEO at Xenoport is Vincent Angotti, currently the company's executive VP and chief operating officer. Ronald Barrett retires from the chief exec post.

Belgian biotech Promethera Biosciences SA interim CEO John Tchelingerian takes on the role officially. Having previously cofounded several biotech companies, Tchelingerian joined Promethera in December 2014 as board chairman and took on CEO duties on an acting basis in January … Brett Hall takes the helm at Molecular Response as CEO; he most recently headed the Oncology Translational Medicine Group at MedImmune. Molecular Response aims to evolve from a diagnostics company to a drug development enterprise.

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. President Chaim Lebovits takes on the CEO post, succeeding Tony Fiorino, who will stay on in a scientific role … Protagonist Therapeutics Inc.'s new CEO is Richard Shames, who held the CMO and senior VP posts at Aldea Pharmaceuticals … Lpath Inc. CFO Gary Atkinson takes on interim CEO duties. Biotech consultant Michael Lack had been handling those duties for almost a year following the resignation of CEO and President Scott Pancoast … Regenerative medicine company Cesca Therapeutics Inc. has launched an executive search following the announcement that Ken Harris is stepping down as president and board chairman. Cesca recently announced a cost-savings restructuring initiative.

More Executive Changes

Novartis AG veteran Jan Schlüchter moves to Myriad Genetics as chief commercial officer … Gina Ford, a consultant to AcelRx Pharmaceuticals Inc. since 2013, joins the company's staff line-up as VP of commercial strategy … OncoSec Medical Inc. taps David Meininger for the newly created post of senior VP of business development. He most recently was Merck & Co. Inc. executive director, business development and licensing.

EMD Serono selects Joseph Leveque as chief medical officer. He joins the Merck KGAA US unit from Bristol-Myers Squibb, where he was head of U.S. Medical for oncology. EMD Serono also appointed Scott Filosi as senior VP of managed markets. He previously served as head of US Market Access and Pricing and the head of Established Brands in the US at UCB Pharma SA … Craig Paterson comes aboard at Endo International PLC as CMO. He had been senior VP, medical and clinical development at Salix Pharmaceuticals, acquired earlier this year by Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc.

Paratek Pharmaceuticals Inc. names Stephen Villano VP, clinical and medical affairs. He had held a similar position, plus business development duties at ViroPharma, now part of Shire PLC … Abivax brings on Jean-Marc Steens as CMO. His industry tenure includes executive roles at GlaxoSmithKline and Viiv Healthcare.

Trade Associations And Scientific Groups

Colin Brainard joins the National Association of Chain Drug Stores federal government affairs team, bringing experience as a staff member for Republican legislators including Rep. Lynn Jenkins, Kan., and Sen. Richard Burr, N.C. Another newcomer at NACDS is Jason Ausili. He will be director, pharmacy affairs, following more than a decade with Target.

The US Pharmacopeial Convention selects Anthony Lakavage as senior VP, global external affairs, a post that includes oversight of governmental and regulatory affairs as well as communications. He moves over from Becton Dickinson & Co., where he headed global public policy.

Changing his industry focus, Steve Ubl, CEO of device trade group AdvaMed, becomes CEO of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (Also see "PhRMA CEO: Ubl Pick Brings User Fee, Reimbursement Expertise" - Pink Sheet, 28 Sep, 2015.). John Castellani announced his intent to leave the PhRMA post earlier this year.

Government Agencies

Guido Rasi will serve as executive director of the European Medicines Agency – for the second time (Also see "Rasi Returns: Ousted EMA Executive Director Gets Job Back" - Pink Sheet, 5 Oct, 2015.). In the US, Karen Midthun is retiring from her post as director of FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (Also see "CBER Director Midthun Retiring; Legacy Includes Biosimilar Principles, Avastin Withdrawal" - Pink Sheet, 2 Oct, 2015.).